Philippine Navy Chief Suddenly Relieved, Frigate Mess Cover Up Highly Likely Reason

In a very suspicious move made by the Philippine Navy and Department of National Defense, the Philippine Navy's Flag Officer in Command (FOIC), Vice Admiral Ronald Joseph Mercado, was relieved from his post and was replaced by AFP J9, Rear Admiral Robert Empedrad effective today, 19th December 2017 at 0900H. This despite VAdm. Mercado was slated for retirement by March 2018 when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56 years old. Its still being confirmed what would be VAdm. Mercado's new position.

The turn over appears to have not been covered by the media, or if it did it was done minimally. No speeches whatsoever. And it was done in the Office of the Chief of Staff AFP's instead of a public area. The ceremony was simple: just a quick handover ceremony that isn't normal when replacing the head of a major armed service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. VAdm. Mercado will prbably be assigned in AFP Headquarters until he retires, which is tantamount to floating status.

Were the issues on the Philippine Navy's Frigate Acquisition Project the reason why FOIC was suddenly replaced? MaxDefense will discuss soon.

As many of our readers may have already known, this is likely something to do with the mess involving the Philippine Navy's Frigate Acquisition Program, which we have been covering since September 2016 before the DND and Hyundai Heavy Industries signed the contract for the deal.

MaxDefense has been raising the alarm on the issue for several months now, wherein Hyundai is attempting to revise the frigate's subsystems and design in violation of RA 9184 and not in compliance to the Technical Specifications of the project, with the backing of the Department of National Defense. This issue has become too serious to the point that the Defense Secretary himself has took notice of our posts and placed MaxDefense in the DND and AFP's monitoring.

Prior to this relief of the FOIC, the chairman of the PN Technical Inspection and Acceptance Committee (TIAC) and Project Management Team (PMT) of the Frigate Acquisition Project, Commo. Sean Villa was also relieved from his post last week.

As a background, RAdm. Empedrad was formerly the FAP Technical Working Group head when he was still a Commodore, and was also a FAP Steering Committee member and adviser at the same time as being the AFP's J9. Incidentally, VAdm. Mercado was also the first Technical Working Group head of the FAP before then Commo. Empedrad took over when Mercado became FOIC in 2016.

So why relieve these two important officers of their post, considering their involvement in the project? Why was RAdm Empedrad involved in the Frigate Project until before he was made FOIC despite already the AFP J9 which has nothing to do with the FAP? Why was there even a Steering Committee made by the Defense Secretary despite the presence of a Project Management Team and Technical and Inspection Acceptance Committee? There are many questions actually but we will all bring it to place very soon.

Also why do this change of command just before the Christmas holiday when everyone including the Senate and Congress will be out of session, and the media's attention is on the holidays and the aftermath of the devastating typhoon?

MaxDefense will discuss more of the issues in our next blog entry very soon.

Meanwhile I, Max Montero, is still banned from posting on our Facebook Group Page, as well as on my personal page until next week. Coincidence as well?